Visiting with my school

Cliquez pour agrandir
Would you like to visit Marineland with your class or leisure centre?
Depending on the season, Marineland offers you the chance to enjoy educational shows, marine animal mealtimes with comments, guided tours of the park or special question and answer sessions around the pools with the animals and their trainers!

Read more: Visiting with my school

   

Venir avec mon école à la ferme

2011_12_08_venir_ecole_fw
Vous souhaitez venir en visite à la Ferme du Far West avec votre classe ou votre centre de loisirs ?
La Ferme, comme Marineland, vous propose selon la saison, différentes formules. Vous pourrez ainsi découvrir le métier d'animalier, assister aux repas des animaux de la Ferme, bénéficier d'une visite guidée du parc ou encore de séances privilégiées de questions réponses autour des enclos avec les animaux et leurs soigneurs-animaliers !

Read more: Venir avec mon école à la ferme

   

Accommodation options

2010_10_20_thumb_hebergement
Accommodation options

Are you looking for accommodation for a group of children close to Marineland ?
Here are some suggestions...

Read more: Accommodation options

   

Teachers' space

Lire la suite...
Teachers' space

To help you make the most of your visit, test your students' knowledge, and guide your teaching, Marineland provides you with downloadable education sheets.

Read more: Teachers' space

   

Calendar 2011

le calendrier 2011
2011 calendar

Here is the Marineland Youth Section school calendar!

Each month, discover a new question to find out even more about the animals of Marineland!

Read more: Calendar 2011

   

Young people's space

Lire la suite...
Young People's space
Immerse yourself in the Young People's space and test your knowledge or that of your friends and family!
Discover the world of marine wildlife by playing the Marineland quiz.
Do you need information about penguins or polar bears? Marineland and the magazine "Récre Azur" answer all your questions!

Read more: Young people's space

   

Animal stories

Lire la suite...
Animal stories.
The sea is full of surprises. Here are some amusing and instructive anecdotes.

Read more: Animal stories

   

F.A.Q.

Lire la suite...
F.A.Q.
All those questions to which you have never found the answers!

Are there really whales in the Mediterranean?
Why does a killer whale's dorsal fin droop in the pool? Can the killer whale raise its fin?


Are there really whales in the Mediterranean?

Of course: sperm whales and fin whales are frequently observed. The best time to see them is in summer, when the sea is rich in plankton, which attracts fish and whales.
NB: the fin whale is a baleen whale, which feeds on plankton, while the sperm whale is a toothed whale, which hunts for fish and squid.

Why does the killer whale’s dorsal fin droop in the tank ?

The dorsal fin of bull killer whales grows until the animal reaches puberty. In the wild, the dorsal fin of roving killer whales remains erect because it is supported by the water during very frequent diving. In parks, killer whales spend much more time near the surface, with their dorsal fin outside the water, because they watch people, socialise, feed and play with their keepers.

Their interest is entirely directed to the surface. All that time spent at the surface combined with the law of gravity results in the fin bending under its own weight. In large specimens, the dorsal fin can exceed 1.50m (5ft) in height, and there is no muscle support.

Can killer whales raise their dorsal fin?

No, since it contains no muscle and is made up of collagen, a tissue similar to the cartilage in our ears and noses.

What is a species?

For animals to be grouped within a single species, they need not have the same appearance. More important than their looks, what makes the difference is the possibility of their reproducing with each other.

Are killer whales dangerous?
Killer whales are wild animals, and are the largest marine predator. They can thus be dangerous. The keepers at Marineland create contact through their daily work with the animals before developing a real bond with them and the possibility of getting close to them, or swimming beside them.

How much does an adult killer whale weigh?
On averegae, a female adult killer whale weighs between 2 and 4 metric tons, and a male between 5 and 7 tons. The average length of a female is 4 to 7 metres, and 6 to 8 metres for a male. At birth, a killer whale calf measures about 2 metres and weighs 90 kg.

How long can a killer whale stay underwater without breathing?
Killer whales and dolphins can hold their breath for around twenty minutes. They are marine mammals so they have lungs and have to come to the surface to breathe.

How big is the killer whale pool?
The killer whale pool has a volume of 44 million litres, a glazed side 64m long, and is 12 metres deep. The window is 4.60 m high. It is a stretch of water as big as a football field.

Do dolphins and killer whales sleep?
Sleep is somewhat relative with cetaceans. It consist of recovering the energy spent. The dolphin has to think about breathing; it is not a reflex action as with humans. One current theory to explain how a dolphin sleeps holds that it only rests one hemisphere of its brain at a time, which enables it to remain conscious all the time. However, this explanation is only a theory.

Out at sea, where they are the prey of predators, dolphins cannot allow themselves to sleep completely, but are forced to sleep "with one eye open" so that they can always be on the alert and ready to react to the slightest danger. However, at Marineland, where there are no predators, their sleep seems to be deeper, and the dolphins can allow themselves to float a few minutes on the surface without being at risk.

Can you go up to or stroke a killer whale?
It is not possible to stroke the killer whales, for obvious safety reasons. However, we propose going up close to them as part of a VIP Visit. You can find a description of this visit with prices and conditions at this address: VIP Visit

During this "VIP Visit"  you get close to the killer whales accompanied by their keepers, by going to the edge of the pool, or to the foot of the huge glass partition (depending on the constraints imposed by the animals), and a photo will be given to you (paying?!)

How can one become a keeper?
Download the "become a keeper" document

Is it possible to swim with the dolphins?
It is not possible to swim with the dolphins at Marineland, but you can take part in our "Meet the Dolphins" session. You can find a description and access conditions at this address: Meet the Dolphins

Can you spend a day with the keepers?
We offer two half-days for exploring behind the scenes at Marineland, during the VIP morning. You can find a description, prices and conditions at this address: VIP Visit

During this morning, after having breakfast with a keeper, you go behind the scenes of the park with him, go up close to the various animals, meet the sea lions, then meet the dolphins, and lastly have your photo taken with the killer whales. Your afternoon is free to enjoy the other shows.

Can you bring a dog to Marineland ?

For hygienic reasons, and for safety reasons as regards the birds of prey, we cannot accept dogs inside Marineland. And unfortunately, we do not have a kennel service.

In very hot weather, we strongly recommend that your leave your four-footed friends at home or in kennels during your visit, because it is extremely dangerous to leave them in the car, even with the windows open. It is in fact an offence subject to a fine to do so.

 

 

 


Read more: F.A.Q.

   

Shortcuts Marineland

Marineland planetNewsletterEvents calandarPrice listTicket on lineFollow us on twiterSuivez Follow us on Facebook

Newsletter Marineland

Marineland TV

Marineland TV
Découvrez Marineland TV !
Grâce à votre nouvelle Web TV Marineland,
immergez-vous dans l'univers du plus grand parc marin d'Europe !
Au programme : Interviews et reportages exclusifs, toute l'actu du parc Marineland et ses coulisses !

Marineland sur Facebook

Top